


and it was always you

by CherryRedBomb



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Ice Skating, JUST slightly b/c it's like this was their first meeting instead of the business application thing, M/M, Patrick used to be a hockey player b/c it just feels Right, Romantic Fluff, time-skips to established relationship :), winter prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27773044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryRedBomb/pseuds/CherryRedBomb
Summary: "What he also knows is that Stevie is outside of the rink doing her best impression of Kris Jenner’s "you’re doing amazing sweetie" and recording him while he wobbles more than a newborn giraffe."orThey meet at an ice rink. A fluffy wintry-take on Patrick and David's first meeting in Schitt's Creek. :)
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd & David Rose
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	and it was always you

**Author's Note:**

> based on this prompt: "I watch kids teach you how to skate because you’re a terrible ice skater."
> 
> I highkey waited a whole year to post this because I started writing it in Dec 2019, forgot about it, edited pre-covid 2020, and then just remembered it earlier tonight b/c I finally have started watching s6 of Schitt's Creek. Anyway I love them and I'm off to listen to Simply the Best! Enjoy <3

David doesn’t know how they convinced him to do this. Turns out to be some local rinky dink ice rink fundraiser for the school’s FISH family. Whatever that was.

Well, actually he does: Jocelyn had told them earlier that week, dropping in at the motel. It was kind of scary how sometimes that woman could be as forceful as his mother. Her hints that they should all come had  _ not  _ been subtle. 

What he also knows is that Stevie is outside of the rink doing her best impression of Kris Jenner’s  _ you’re doing amazing sweetie _ and recording him while he wobbles more than a newborn giraffe. And Alexis is skating circles around him because one time she got stranded at a remote Russian airport and had to stay with a local family who had an iced over pond in their backyard and their son was an aspiring figure skater and needed a partner to practice with  _ so _ \--

Ugh. 

As if on cue to make things worse, some  _ child _ zips past David, making him lose his lifeline grip on the outer railing. He overcorrects his balance and falls backward hard enough to go skidding on his ass towards the center of the small rink. Without even bothering to check if he’s in anyone’s way, David lays back on the cold scratchy ice in defeat.

It seems that he’s meant to ascend to a whole other level of embarrassment though. Something bumps into his shoulder and he ignores it, groaning softly, assuming this is just the sad, pathetic end of David Rose. Then it happens again and once more and finally he opens his eyes only to find himself face to face with blank soulless purple ones. 

“What the fuck is that?” he screeches, scrambling backwards. 

He looks up to see a little girl behind the thing, which turns out to be some kind of plastic seal with an upturned tail that seems to also function as handles. Her mouth is a perfect “o” and then she points an accusing finger at him. 

“ _ That _ was a bad word, mister!” She relents immediately though, roping in an older boy to help David stand (her brother maybe, anywhere between 11 and 16; David isn’t good with ages, especially with children). “Miss Jocelyn asked us to help you learn how to skate though, so we’ll try.” 

She doesn’t sound very hopeful and David wonders with a particular kind of droop to his shoulders (and maybe down to his soul as well) how many people were watching him struggle before. He already knows the answer is too many. 

The two kids go on to show him how the seal is basically a walker on ice and at the least, it should give him a little more freedom to practice longer strides on the ice than his very choppy, ice-chipping progress along the wall was allowing. 

To his own surprise, he actually starts to do better and a smile starts to creep in from the corner of his mouth. 

He still doesn’t know the kids names--he’s not sure they even know his--but he thanks them so they’ll go away and the second their backs are turned, he looks for Stevie so he can flip her off. He bets she’s still recording even. 

Instead, he makes eye contact with a handsome man about his age, brown hair hidden under a blue beanie, one of those horrendous bubble winter coats blue to match, and what looks like a much sturdier pair of ice skates hanging from his hand, the laces tied together. He’s leaning over the edge of the railing, looking like he got distracted mid-task by something more entertaining than getting out on the ice. 

  
He looks like he’s had a direct line of sight on David and the shenanigans he’s been forced to endure. Oh god. And just when he was starting to think that the stupid seal thing was helping.

Embarrassment flares up in David like that rash he got his last night in Ibiza (there were a few reasons as to why he burned that bridge with Nate Berkus). 

Not that it’s of much comfort to David, but the mystery man seems equally embarrassed to have been caught watching. When he blushes it’s quite cute honestly and now? Now David is the one staring.

In his distraction, he doesn’t realize before it’s too late how quickly he’s running out of ice and rink and before he knows it, David’s seal is colliding with the wall of the rink and he’s colliding with the seal, and for the second time in a span of minutes, David is on his back on the ice and wishing for the sweet release of death. 

He’s not sure how much time passes as he lays there on the ice. His eyes are still closed when he hears a voice ask, “Hey, are you okay? I’m so sorry because I can’t help but feel like that was my fault there.”

Something tells him it’s mystery man. Without opening his eyes, David answers.

“Oh yeah, it totally kind of was. I also still just really suck at this. I might forgive you if you help me up, though.” 

One gloved hand reaches for his and David finally looks. The man is even more attractive up close (Alexis will later call him a sweet little button face), but as he pulls David to his feet, David takes in the midrange denim and the straight-laced look and concludes that he looks superbly straight. Well.

“So, am I forgiven?” Little puffs of air escape between them as he speaks. He still has one hand resting on David’s shoulder. When David turns slightly, eyes it, the man drops it abruptly, seemingly embarrassed again. 

“Yeah,” David lies. He holds grudges, but this man he just met doesn’t need to know that. 

The man sticks out his other hand. “Patrick Brewer, I’m new to town.”

“David Rose,” he takes it, “I guess you could still say the same about me.”

They shake and let go, but before David can awkwardly excuse himself and seek out Stevie, Patrick’s talking again. 

“-try to teach you if you want? I noticed you already had some lessons, but I used to play hockey and was thinking maybe you’d prefer an instructor who was-”

“Wasn’t a child?” David interrupts. 

“I was going to say more your age, but sure, we could say that.” 

His smile is easy and teasing. David suffocates the butterflies in his stomach with a single word:  _ straight _ . 

While he’s mentally debating, Patrick holds out his arm. David stares at it. 

“So you can hold on for balance,” he says. 

David continues to stare. 

Laughing a little, Patrick continues. “Like with the seal?”

David quickly takes his arm. “Let’s not talk about that.” 

“Can do,” he says, beginning to lead David around the curve slow and steady. 

==

Months and months later, David and Patrick are doing inventory at the shop. That is to say, Patrick is doing inventory while David lingers near him or flits around the store. He’s about to suggest a lunch run when a message pops up in the groupchat that he, Patrick, and Stevie have. David’s already suspicious because it seems unusually sentimental: a  _ happy 1 year anniversary guys _ . 

When he looks at Patrick, he’s looking up from his own phone in smiling confusion. “We haven’t been dating for a year though, have we? I’d know that.”

The attachment finally loads and David walks over to the register so they can watch it together. It’s the two of them making glacial progress around that ice rink all that time ago.

“Ah,” David hears Patrick say from over his shoulder. He reaches past David and takes the phone from him, setting it down, turning David around to face him. “Not a 1 year anniversary of our first date.” 

David hmms yes and leans in to kiss him once before pulling back to try to return to his business duties. Patrick should be proud of his restraint. It’s absolutely responsibility giving him the strength to pull away and not at all his continuing discomfort at discussing anniversaries of any kind. 

Except now Patrick eyes are lingering on his, and his hand has reached out to caress David’s cheek.

“Yeah,” Patrick continues, as if David hadn’t interrupted him at all, “a 1 year anniversary of the best day of my life.” 

This time, Patrick leans in to kiss David. It’s breathtakingly tender and David cannot believe he once looked at this man and convinced himself he was straight. 

He is so, so glad that Patrick wasn’t straight. 

And yeah, as he smiles against Patrick’s lips, David thinks back to that day: he still has no idea how they convinced him to get out on the ice all those months ago but knowing that it led to this? 

Worth it. 

  
  



End file.
